Scaffolding in Education: An Essential Teaching Strategy

Scaffolding is a term used in education to describe a teaching strategy where teachers provide support to students as they learn new concepts or skills. The term comes from construction, where scaffolding refers to the temporary platform used by builders while constructing buildings. In education, scaffolding is a method of providing temporary support to help students progress in their learning, before gradually reducing that support as students become more capable.

What is Scaffolding in Education?

In the classroom, scaffolding involves teachers initially guiding students through new material. For example, a teacher may explain a concept or demonstrate how to solve a problem. After the initial instruction, the teacher then steps back, allowing students to practice independently with structured support, such as working in groups or using resources like models or prompts. This gradual removal of support helps students build confidence and become more independent learners.

Scaffolding in CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)

Scaffolding is also used in CLIL, a teaching approach that integrates content learning with language learning. In this context, scaffolding helps students understand both the subject matter and the language needed to express it. Teachers and more experienced peers offer support to learners as they develop their language skills in the content area. The goal is to make students feel more confident in using a foreign language and to encourage a more communicative approach to learning. According to Girbau and Walsh (2012), scaffolding empowers learners to apply strategies and skills independently, increasing their ability to communicate and understand.

The Importance of Scaffolding

The concept of scaffolding was introduced in the 1970s by educational theorists. The idea is that, just like construction scaffolding is temporary and removed once the building is stable, the support in teaching should be temporary, fading as students gain the necessary skills and understanding. Teachers often use methods such as modeling, step-by-step instructions, and guided practice to scaffold learning, helping students understand and master new concepts more effectively.

Key Features of Scaffolding

Hammond and Gibbons (2001) highlight several important features of scaffolding:

1. Extending Understanding: Scaffolding helps extend students' understanding by challenging them and pushing them beyond their current abilities. This allows students to internalize new concepts and skills.

2. Temporary Support: The support offered through scaffolding is temporary. It is gradually reduced as students become more capable of working independently.

3. Micro and Macro Focuses: Scaffolding occurs both during spontaneous student-teacher interactions (micro) and through the structured lessons planned by the teacher (macro).

How Does Scaffolding Work in Practice?

In practice, scaffolding begins when a teacher explains a new concept in a way that matches the students’ current level of understanding. The teacher might demonstrate how to solve a problem or accomplish a task. Once the teacher models the task, students receive support through activities such as:

• Breaking instructions into smaller steps: This makes tasks easier to follow and complete.
• Guiding students through the task: Teachers might talk students through each step as they complete the activity.
• Group work: Students can collaborate with peers to solve problems or complete assignments, providing mutual support.
• Providing additional resources: Teachers may refer students to models, examples, or other materials that can help them understand the task better.

Scaffolding Strategies

Several strategies are commonly used to scaffold learning:

1. Collaborative Learning: Small groups of students work together to learn and teach each other parts of the lesson. This promotes deeper understanding through peer interaction.

2. Classroom Discussions: Teachers can involve the whole class in discussions, encouraging participation from all students. This helps clarify concepts and allows for different perspectives to be shared.

3. Check for Understanding: Teachers check students’ understanding regularly to ensure they are grasping the material. If students need more help, the teacher can provide additional support.

4. Gradual Increase in Difficulty: Teachers often start with simpler lessons and gradually introduce more complex material. For example, in math, a teacher might break a difficult problem into smaller, manageable parts, guiding students through each one.

5. Multimodal Teaching: Teachers may explain concepts in different ways, such as orally, visually (with slides or images), and physically (by having students draw or act out concepts). This helps address the various learning styles in the classroom and ensures all students can grasp the material.

6. Pre-teaching Vocabulary: Before reading a difficult text, teachers can introduce key vocabulary that students may struggle with. Using metaphors, images, or analogies can help students understand new words, which boosts their confidence and improves their comprehension of the text.

Challenges of Scaffolding

While scaffolding is an effective teaching method, it can also present challenges:

• Personnel and Time Constraints: Scaffolding can require more teachers or teaching assistants to provide adequate support, which may not always be feasible. It can also be time-consuming, as teachers need to carefully plan and monitor students' progress.
• Misjudging Students' Needs: Teachers may sometimes misjudge a student's level of understanding and provide support that is either too advanced or too simple. This can hinder learning rather than help.
• Teacher Training: Successful scaffolding requires teachers to be well-trained in recognizing students' needs and providing the right amount of support. Teachers must also be willing to gradually reduce their control over the learning process as students become more capable.
• Fading Support Too Early: Teachers must carefully monitor students' progress and ensure they are ready to work independently before withdrawing support. If done too early, students may struggle to complete tasks on their own.

Conclusion

Scaffolding is an essential educational strategy that supports students in mastering new skills and concepts. By providing temporary support, teachers help students gain confidence and become more independent learners. Though there are challenges associated with scaffolding, when done correctly, it can significantly enhance the learning process and foster a deeper understanding of the material. Teachers can use a variety of strategies, from collaborative learning to multimodal teaching, to ensure that scaffolding meets the diverse needs of their students. As students progress, they gain the confidence to apply what they have learned autonomously, ultimately becoming more capable learners.

References

Girbau, D., & Walsh, M. (2012). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: Teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom. Oxford University Press.

Hammond, J., & Gibbons, P. (2001). What is scaffolding? In P. Gibbons (Ed.), Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning (pp. 13-20). Heinemann.